Ford Just Announced a New F-150 Lightning, and It's Going to Be a Hybrid

• What's happening: Ford is killing the current F-150 Lighting in 2025.
• What's new: The truck will get a second generation, but this time it will be an EREV hybrid.
• Why it matters: You're going to get an electric pickup with more than 700 miles of range in total. 

Power is still entirely electric, however. The engine will have no physical connection to the wheels, so power delivery will be entirely dependent on the electric motors. (We fully expect a two-motor powertrain, one on each axle, for all-wheel drive.) It functions a lot like a plug-in hybrid because the battery gets power from both a gas engine and an EV charger. 

Ford pledges that the next F-150 Lightning will have more than 700 miles of range before both the battery runs out of juice and the gas tank runs dry. Some compromises obviously come with packaging an engine, a battery, and electric motors into the same car. Buyers won't get a big frunk anymore, and the battery will likely be smaller. 

That said, truck buyers who aren't used to a big front trunk likely won't miss it. It's also a trade-off most will be happy to make in order to ensure their pickup can still reliably tow without decimating its total range figure. Plus, the new Lightning will still be made in the U.S. and will still be able to power heavy-duty accessories (like appliances in the event of a power outage), just like the current F-150 hybrid and Lightning models can.

We liked the Lightning we lived with for a year. It's comfortable, competent, and feels a lot like a regular F-150 inside but with a smooth electric powertrain. That said, its range is limited compared to competitors, and it's nowhere near as good to drive or as refined as the competition from Rivian. It also hasn't exactly been a huge sales hit. Despite being a strong-selling EV pickup, compared to the regular F-150, the Lightning's sales look like they could be a rounding error. 

Hopefully, Ford's switch-up delivers something that's more future-proof while being just as usable as the current truck. We'll know more about the next F-150 Lightning as we get closer to its launch.